Mother settles court actions over IRA spy

The resolutions clear the way for an assessment to be made on the level of damages Peter Keeley is to pay Eilish Morley.

She has already secured judgment against Mr Keeley, who also uses the pseudonym Kevin Fulton, in a claim for the killing of her son, Eoin Morley, in Newry, Co Down on Easter Sunday 1990.

It is the lead case in nearly 30 lawsuits being taken against the former British spy in connection with a series of paramilitary murders and attacks.

He was sued over alleged involvement in Mr Morley’s death while working for a covert military intelligence unit.

Masked men dragged the victim from his girlfriend’s house in the Derrybeg estate and shot him twice.

He had been a member of the Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO), a splinter republican paramilitary organisation.

A subsequent investigation by former police ombudsman Nuala O’Loan concluded that the RUC did not properly investigate Mr Morley’s killing.

However, she also found there had been no effort by police to instigate a feud between the IRA and IPLO.

In 2014 an order for damages was made against Mr Keeley at the High Court after he failed to enter an appearance in Mrs Morley’s action.

An assessment on the scale of pay-out had been on hold, pending the outcome of her related proceedings against the two other defendants.

She sued the MoD for either allegedly permitting her son’s murder to take place or failing to take steps to prevent it, and contended that Special Branch officers withheld intelligence as part of a flawed police investigation.

It was confirmed in court, however, that both of those claims have now been resolved. No further details about the terms of the settlements were disclosed.

Counsel for Mrs Morley was advised to take steps to ensure notice is properly served on the remaining defendant about a future hearing to assess damages.

Adjourning the case, Mr Justice Humphreys said: “We have to ensure fairness to Mr Keeley by alerting him to the proposals.”

Outside court Mrs Morley’s solicitor, Kevin Winters, revealed the full scale of litigation against the spy.

“This is the lead case in a series of 27 actions involving Peter Keeley for his role at the time he was a state agent in the IRA.”